Customer Reviews

Almost A Bride (Wyoming Wildflowers) (Harlequin Special Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Matty Brennan would do anything to save the family spread...even marry the man who broke her heart six years ago. Of course, it's a marriage in name only, and of course it has nothing to do with any lingering feelings for her childhood flame. Dave Currick has no idea why it's so important that he marry Matty in name only, but he says yes because he'd do just about anything for Matty.

A marriage of convenience that's not overly convenient as it forces Matty and Dave to confront feelings from the past even as they look toward the future. The question is, what will that future hold for their marriage?

Patricia McLinn is a talented storyteller whose easy writing style and compelling plot will sweep you away.

Dire financial and legal problems lead Matty Breenan to a desperate solution. Determined to save the Flying W ranch following the death of her great-uncle, Matty proposes marriage to Dave Currick. Never mind he broke her heart six years ago when he unexpectedly ended their affair. If he agrees, marriage to Dave, in a round about fashion, qualifies Matty for a grant that has the potential of saving the ranch.

In the three weeks since she returned to Wyoming, Matty has pointedly avoided him; now, she's suddenly proposing. Dave has no idea why Matty wants to marry him except that in some inexplicable way her reason ties to her effort to save the Flying W. Dave's convinced she won't follow through, but, if playing along lets him back in Matty's life, then he's game. So game that he finds himself married. When he learns she didn't need him, but his address, Dave's anything but thrilled. Nevertheless, he's also determined to see Matty's efforts to save her ranch succeed, whatever he must do.

Patricia McLinn finds an innovative motive for a marriage of convenience in ALMOST A BRIDE. With her characteristic flair, these powerful characters and their emotional intensity keep the pages turning. Indeed, the mix of miscommunication, deep emotion and loopholes creates a delightful read. Recommended.

One of the (many) reasons I like reviewing romance novels is that I don't have to worry about spoiling the ending. We all know what the ending will be--must be or it wouldn't be a romance. Indeed, we know that Almost a Bride will end with impulsive Matty Brennan marrying steady Dave Currick. In fact, I knew that after reading the first 35 words--and I knew, to boot, that Matty would wind up saving her beloved Flying W Ranch.

Right now, I have to say I loved the story, lest my opening paragraph loses readers. That paragraph is true, but it might make Patricia McLinn's novel sound ... But, no, anything but that. You see, what counts in a romance is the journey, not the destination. And what a journey this was, with surprising twists and turns in every chapter!

I love twists--which is fortunate, because Almost a Bride almost turned me into a Bavarian pretzel. To begin with, Matty and Dave get married to begin with--in Chapter 2, three days after meeting for the first time in six years.

Well, that's not exactly true--it's a half twist. Dave marries Mattie, but Mattie isn't really married to Dave. She won't really marry him because he loves her too much?

So maybe Dave needs a knock on the head so he won't love Mattie excessively. There's nothing sure in Almost a Bride until almost the end. You never know.

But in the end, she might marry her husband for real. Her husband? You know, that guy she has the irresistible hots for.

There's much more to tell about this wonderful, wacky, sexy couple, but I'm not giving any more away. I will tell you that on every other page, these two lovable people put each other through the romance wringer and turn the crank. So, if you love to laugh; love to cry; or love to laugh and cry at the same time, then you'll definitely want to read Almost a Bride.

The Hands of God

ALMOST A BRIDE is the perfect recipe of a romance novel for me - memorable characters, plenty of chemistry, understated humor, vivid setting, true-to-life issues. Yum!

I did NOT want to leave Matty and Dave's world. I'm just glad there are two more books in the series!

And totally baffling for the guy who gets the proposal. Patricia McLinn writes the warm sort of love story she is famous for, in a beautiful setting, the perfect background for a marriage, except for that odd little detail the groom has to sort out. A charming romance.

I have always enjoyed Patricia's McLinn's writing. In this book, as always, her characters are wonderful. The hero and heroine belong together as much as Matty attempts to deny it. How in the world can she resist the gorgeous and brilliant and charming Dave? He had me when he ordered her bouquet. Ms. McLinn takes us to lovely Knighton, Wyoming and dumps the reader into a prairie of wonderful people. I love the dialogue. I love Ms. McLinn's clever and humourous phrases. She is a talented writer. I highly recommend this book.
Jane Myers Perrine

As a child and a young woman, Mattie Brennan would have followed Dave Currick anywhere. Instead, he sent her away. Six years later, she's back in Wyoming, determined to save the bankrupt ranch she's inherited from her uncle. Due to a complicated grant program, the only way she can save it is by marrying Dave, whose ranch abuts her uncle's. Six years after he broke her heart--and six years after she left town swearing she would never return and settle there--can they convince their friends and neighbors this marriage is for real, even when they themselves know it's not?

Almost a Bride is romance fiction at its classic best: a marriage of convenience, two ex-lovers reuniting, horses, wide-open skies and a ranch in desperate need of saving. Mattie and Dave are smart, stubborn and irresistible, and McLinn tells their story beautifully.

Up front I will admit that I am not a huge fan of romance novels. With only a few exceptions, I nave never cared for them. So you may wonder why I bought this book and why I gave it four stars.

There are two reasons I bought the book. I love horses and books with western settings. When I read an excerpt of the book I decided I wanted to read about this woman who is trying to save her ranch in Wyoming. The other reason I bought the book is because I met the author online and after getting to know her over a period of a few months, I decided to try one of her books.

I'm glad I did.

The story has all the elements a romance fan would expect, attraction, sexual tension, the push-pull of will they get together or won't they, but this is all done without the oh-so-predictable approach that is common in romance novels. Matty and Dave are wonderful, interesting characters and the things that keep them apart are believable.

The love scenes are true love scenes, not sex scenes, and the emotional reactions the characters have to each other are as important as the physical.

This was truly a delight to read, and I am so glad I took a chance with one of Patricia's books.

I was a bit disappointed to run into a sex scene. I truly prefer to have that left out, but this was a fun story otherwise.

it was too long and boring. the hero and the heroine were nice. i liked them. it was remarkable for the hero to rescue the heroine most of their lives, but if you love someone, you do not let other people cloud your judgemnt.